Genesys Works Receives Grant to Connect More High School Students with Internships

September 19, 2017

News

$5 million Ballmer Group grant will support current operations and growth into new cities

HOUSTON, September 19, 2017 — Genesys Works, a national youth employment and workforce development program, received a $5 million grant from the Bellevue, Washington-based Ballmer Group. This donation will allow the nonprofit to continue its work bringing meaningful, year-long professional internships and critical college and career skills to low-income high school seniors.

The five-year grant from Ballmer Group, the philanthropic organization founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, will support a deeper investment into existing Genesys Works programs in Chicago, Houston, Twin Cities, the San Francisco Bay area and the Washington, D.C. region, in addition to expanding into more cities across the United States.

“This investment will allow us to connect more students with 21st century careers through work-based learning, year-long internships and college and career coaching,” said Rafael Alvarez, CEO and Founder of Genesys Works. “We look forward to increasing our expansion efforts to support more youth and their communities across the nation by providing thousands of students the opportunity to achieve career success and a lifetime of economic self-sufficiency.”

Genesys Works provides eight weeks of intensive training in technical and professional skills for rising high school seniors. During their senior year, students are assigned to a year-long, paid internship and participate in a college and career coaching program to prepare them for postsecondary success. The meaningful internships give students real-world experience in fields like information technology, finance and business operations working at major corporations like AT&T, Medtronic, Salesforce.com and Target Corporation.

“Quality training, coaching and work experiences can all improve college and career success for low-income students,” said Jeff Edmondson of Ballmer Group. “Genesys Works is a leader in this area, and we’re excited to support them in building for sustainable impact.” Edmondson said that Genesys Works’ success with learning-to-work transitions furthers Ballmer Group’s mission: improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States.

About Genesys Works
Genesys Works is a nonprofit social enterprise changing the trajectory of life for disadvantaged high school students through meaningful work experiences. Its program consists of eight weeks of technical and professional skills training, a paid year-long corporate internship, college and career coaching, and alumni support to and through college. Its goal is to move more students out of poverty and into professional careers, creating a more productive and diverse workforce in the process. Since its founding in 2002, Genesys Works has grown to serve nearly 5,000 students annually in Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington’s National Capital Region. To learn more, visit genesysworks.org.

For more information, contact:
Name: Allison Kopp
Phone: 678-313-2966
Email: akopp@voxglobal.com

Name: Jennie Tollefson
Phone: 651-260-9008
Email: Jentollefson@genesysworks.org

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